The Attorney General's position is that investing in games of luck is illegal (except, of course, in State licensed casinos)...and that online Fantasy Sports plays are games of luck.

Anybody who has ever participated in a Fantasy Sports league knows that such a position is patently false. It takes an uncanny knowledge of the game and a certain skill set to win, no matter how easy the actors on the TV spots make it look. Indeed, if anything here should be illegal, it's commercials making mere mortal sports fans think they stand a snowball's chance of winning.

The Attorney General said, "(Daily Fantasy Sports) is designed for instant gratification..."

As are instant scratch lottery tickets.

So...what exactly is your point?

That you're not a fan of instant gratification...or you picked Ryan Mallett as your Quarterback?

November 11, 2015

A County Commission recently eliminated funding for their Destination Marketing Organization, saying that State law requires a contract and that one had never been executed.

So why not just draw one up and sign it?

No...let's study the situation. And, we've got plenty of time to do just that because, as the Mayor proclaimed, "between now and January is a slow time for local tourism."

Of course what he means is there aren't a lot of visitors in that County this time of the year.

What he is clearly missing is that the fourth and first quarters of the year are often the most important times of the year as marketing messages and media buys are being lined up to ensure that next summer rocks.

November 10, 2015

One has only to read the timeline of racially motivated incidents on the campus of the University of Missouri to wonder what it was going to finally take for the Administration to respond. That is was the Mizzou Football Team and their Coach threatening not to play this Saturday that finally caused the University President and Chancellor to resign has to make most of us shake our head in disbelief.

"The polite illusion of amateurism has long been shattered; the spectacle has literally become a multibillion dollar industry. We can’t be OK with players being used to promote that spectacle and not OK with players turning around and using the spectacle for themselves."

Of course, the reality is (as always) in the middle. The football team is garnering the heat/praise...but it was teachers that first threatened to walk out of the classrooms if the issues eating away at the University weren't addressed. Few paid any mind.

November 09, 2015

The number of design fails I see in my travels has gotten to the point that I'm surprised when I don't see one. And, it's not just in my travels.

Our community's newest movie theatre boasts big, cushy lounge chairs (the DreamLounger™ eXperience, no less) in which the audience can push back, kick their legs up (click image to enlarge) and enjoy the movie as they might at home.

One slight problem that the designers clearly overlooked: If everyone is in full lounge position and you want to hit the head? There's no room between the footrest and the railing for that to happen unless every single person pulls back from their recline position.

And, in today's self-absorbed world, what are the chances that, if you're in the middle of the row, you'll get everyone to retreat both ways (coming and going).

November 06, 2015

I don't...but that doesn't mean that music isn't an integral part of my morning shower.

Every morning, as the water cascades over my shoulders, there's a song in my head. You too?

New research indicates that our "internal jukebox" often starts playing during times of “low cognitive load,” like “sonic screen savers” that keep the mind entertained while it’s otherwise idling. And, we cycle the same section of the song over and over because we can't remember the entire song.

November 05, 2015

At least in the tech/digital space, the end is nigh when upgrades are forced...not offered.

Case in point: The Weather Channel. Over the past few years, their App has become more aesthetically pleasing while becoming progressively more useless. They offered up an upgrade earlier this week, to which the reviews have been fairly horrid.

Today, there is no longer the opportunity to decline the upgrade. You either watch the demo or agree. There is no other option.

As a line of fairly vigorous looking thunderstorms approaches this evening, that option doesn't exactly work for me.

Thus, one of the first Apps I ever downloaded is now deleted...because I understand quite clearly that my safety is not important to the Weather Channel.

November 04, 2015

It's becoming clearer and clearer that the skill set required to effectively manage a Destination Marketing Organization is becoming more demanding every month. And, yet, we continue to see communities content to settle for much less.

Case in point, a Chamber of Commerce that is currently advertising for a new Tourism Director with the following requirements: Excellent organization skills (sic), communication skills and proficient in Microsoft Office.